B.C.’s civilian police watchdog has opened the door to possible criminal charges against three Abbotsford police officers in relation to a fatal crash two years ago.
The incident happened around 3 p.m. on Aug. 7, 2022, according to the Independent Investigations Office (IIO).
When officers with the Abbotsford Police Department found a stolen Acura Integra near Livingstone Avenue and Maclure Road, Police didn’t attempt a traffic stop, and ultimately lost sight of the vehicle.
About an hour later, officers spotted the vehicle in the parking lot of a strip mall at Hillcrest Avenue and Commercial Street. This time when they tried to stop it, it fled.
The car then left the road and crashed into a tree near Maclure and Clearbrook roads. A female passenger was declared dead at the scene, while the male driver died in hospital.
The stolen vehicle had been flagged as having a connection to human remains found in a torched vehicle in Summerland, according to the RCMP.
The bodies were found on the morning of Aug. 6, on Garnet Valley Road.
The IIO did not provide further details about that connection.
However, the watchdog said a review of the evidence concluded there were reasonable grounds to believe three officers may have committed offences in relation to the incident and subsequent deaths.
It did not specify what actions led to that conclusion or what offences the officers may have committed.
The IIO has filed a report with the BC Prosecution Service, which is responsible for assessing the evidence and determining if it meets the standards to lay charges.